The story continues on one of the roads leading to Daekrahm City.

Christana was in the cart, upside-down, continuously drifting in and out of consciousness. Occasionally, she would open her eyes just long enough to glimpse the gruesome sight of nuns falling prey to the ghouls outside the carriage, only for her eyes to flutter shut again moments later.

Outside, a wounded nun faced a menacing ghoul brandishing a sword. Fueled by anger, the ghoul raised his weapon high.

Suddenly, Eyva, bloodied but resolute, plunged her weapon into the ghoul's back. He choked on his own blood, collapsing lifeless. Eyva then assisted the injured nun to her feet, instructing, "Heal yourself, then aid those still breathing."

Only two ghouls remained; the others had taken the nuns hostage. They confronted Eyva, who stood her ground, defiantly declaring, "Come on, not my first encounter with ghouls."

One of the ghouls charged at Eyva while the other, speaking in their native tongue, shouted at his companion to halt. The command went unheeded.

As the ghoul neared Eyva, poised to strike, he abruptly stopped and crumpled to the ground, blood spattering everywhere. He stared at his own blood-soaked form, realizing his left leg was frozen while his right foot was missing, blood dripping from the wound.

The ghoul's screams pierced the air as panic and pain overwhelmed him. The remaining ghoul rushed to aid his comrade but was met by a fatal thrust from Christana, drenched in her own blood, locking eyes with him as she declared, "Die."

Christana thrust her sword deep into the ghoul's chest, causing him to collapse lifelessly on the ground. The remaining ghoul raised his right hand in the air while clutching his wound with the other, managing to stammer in broken human language, "S... surrender, surrender!"

Christana remained silent, while Eyva raised her hand and invoked, "Ice magic: donmuş."

The ghoul's leg froze, halting the bleeding. Speaking in perfect Ghoul language, Eyva demanded, "Where have you taken the nuns? Answer, or die!"

In his own language, the ghoul replied, "I don't know."

With swift determination, Eyva raised her sword, cleanly severing his head. The head soared a short distance, while the body fell lifeless.

Eyva asked, "Where is Mother Elora?"

Christana, mending her wounded face, responded, "They took her. We must rescue Mother Elora and our sisters."

The other nuns gathered around Christana, their faces etched with sorrow. She spoke with determined sincerity, "The ghouls may be powerful, but they've taken our mother and sisters. We won't be deterred, because those we love need us!"

The nuns nodded in approval, and Christana continued, "Those who can't fight, make your way to the city through the deeper roads, away from the woods, and alert the city's knights. Those who can fight, follow me. We need to rescue them before anything worse happens."

The nuns were divided into groups - some prepared for combat, while others, unable to fight, prepared to leave. Christana turned to her sisters, her voice firm, "Eyva, everyone—remember: NO GHOULS!"

The sisters nodded and followed Christana as she began to march towards the woods.

Meanwhile, Falkor conversed with Joe and Yory. He stated, "The ghouls breached our borders and attacked our people. I have insider information indicating the demons are involved in all of this."

Joe nodded, while Yory thought to himself, *What involvement? My sister didn't tell me anything about this, and I've heard nothing reliable. It seems like the ghouls are acting on their own.*

Joe then inquired, "Do you want us to escort you to the city?"

Just as Falkor was about to respond, a soldier interjected, drawing his sword, "Sir, I sense a demonkin nearby."

At that moment, Falkor took a step back, raising his sword towards Joe, who, in turn, drew his own blade, urging, "Easy there, lad. Keep your composure."

Yory reflected to himself, "This lad can sense me? This knight possesses impressive skills, or perhaps it's a unique talent."

Falkor demanded, "Why are you in our kingdom, especially now, when the ghouls are attacking?"

Joe began to explain, but Yory cut in, "No need for all this fuss. I'm a demon, but I have nothing to do with the ghouls. There's no law against me walking these lands. Joe, put your sword away; he's just being careful."

Joe returned his sword to its scabbard, taking a step back from Falkor, who continued to scrutinize Yory. Eventually, Falkor also lowered his sword, diffusing the tension.

Just then, another soldier arrived, clearly out of breath, and reported to Falkor, "My... the nuns were attacked, and those who made it to the city warned us about the ghouls."

Falkor's eyes widened with fear, his thoughts racing, *Christana..... Elora..... Eyva......... the nuns!*

Then Falkor composed himself and stated, "We must aid the nuns and prevent the ghouls from breaching our borders. We must do so quietly, as the Daekrahm City festival and the large crowd could lead to panic and chaos, something we want to avoid."

A soldier inquired of Falkor, "Sir, why not cancel the festival?"

Falkor replied, "The city is currently in dire financial straits, and cancelling the festival would further devastate it. However, we do have an advantage. The ghouls' numbers appear limited, akin to a bandit group judging by their attire and weaponry. This is not an official war, which is fortunate."

The soldiers nodded, and Joe unexpectedly offered, "I can assist."

Falkor looked at Joe, questioning, "Why? You're not bound by the knights or the temple's code."

Joe smiled and replied, "Helping people doesn't require a reason or a code."

Falkor smiled back, saying, "I would be grateful for any help."

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Joe then turned to Yory and instructed, "You head to the city, and I'll follow."

Yory nodded, looking serious as he surveyed the woods. "Be careful," he urged.

At that moment, a soldier reported, "Sir, the road is likely blocked, and there are probably ghouls present."

Yory set his cart in motion, responding with a stoic expression, "I'll manage."

Meanwhile, back at the ghouls' camp, concealed deep in the forest near the borders, Mother Elora was bound by iron chains, hanging from the ceiling. Despite her injuries and fatigue, she stood resilient. A tear rolled down her cheek as she met the gaze of the ghoul who had been interrogating her, his face devoid of sympathy.

After a moment, the leader of the camp entered, his eyes cold but a trace of sadness evident. He addressed the interrogator, Necra, "Did the women provide any information?"

Necra lowered his head and confessed, "No, leader. She maintains that she knows nothing."

Turning to Mother Elora, who met him with a warm smile despite her injuries from both the assault and the interrogation, Elora spoke calmly, "I truly have no knowledge of Daekrahm City. I was on a journey to spend time with my daughters. I can feel your pain and sorrow, as you're doing all of this to reclaim what was taken from you. I understand, but you're causing harm to many innocent people."

The leader stayed silent as tears rolled down Mother Elora's face. She continued, "In every war, it's the weak and innocent who suffer. Feuding nobles, clashing nations, races in conflict—all this hatred, and they pay the price for nothing. I ask....... I beg you, achieve your goals without taking innocent lives. Their blood will stain your conscience, whether you admit it or justify it. That stain will stay with you."

The leader remained silent, his eyes filling with tears. Nearby, Necra, looking both saddened and angry, fought to control his emotions.

Necra spoke up, "My leader, she must be hiding something. Don't let her manipulate your emotions."

The leader responded, "Necra, interrogate her without causing harm, understood?"

Necra remained silent but nodded in agreement. The leader then left the room, leaving Mother Elora exhausted from the relentless beatings. Necra, his face red with fury, spoke with venom in his voice, "What makes you humans so special? Why are we portrayed as monsters in your tales, even when your kind has inflicted harm and taken hundreds of lives from us? Was it because we're different? Because we appear monstrous? Or because we don't fit your narrow standards of normalcy?"

Mother Elora met his gaze with sorrowful eyes and a bloodied face. She spoke with a warm smile, "That's the misconception that will haunt humanity for a long time. But let me tell you something."

The ghoul remained silent, awaiting Elora's words. She continued, "No matter what happens, I forgive you. I hope I will never haunt you in your long life."

Under the cover of night, deep within the woods, at the closest camp to where the nuns were assaulted, Christana perched atop a tree. From her vantage point, she surveyed the ghouls' encampment and observed a grim sight - some of her sisters confined in large, foreboding wooden cages.

Christana climbed down from the tree and moved to a hidden spot where the nuns were gathering. Eyva was assisting the sisters in preparing for the attack. Christana unsheathed her sword, gazing at the remnants of the ghoul's blood from the earlier skirmish.

She murmured to herself, "Christana, it was a necessity. It was them or you. I didn't want to, but I had to, for the sake of my family that those ghouls took. Be strong, Christana, for everyone, and most importantly, for yourself."

An hour passed, and the moonlight waned, giving way to darkness. In the camp, all was still until a ghoul fell, throat slit, blood staining the ground. Another ghoul dropped lifeless. Christana dispatched yet another before reaching the cages. The trapped nuns looked at her, their eyes gleaming with hope. One of them addressed Christana, "Christana, there aren't many ghouls here. We overheard them speaking in their language about relocating a significant number of their kind to the deep woods, in one of the more distant camps."

Christana nodded and raised her hand, pointing towards the cage door, uttering, "Ice magic: dondurmaq."

The door froze, and she cautioned, "Do not break it, as it will make noise. We'll dispatch the ghouls first, then you can free yourselves. If they discover us, aid us."

The nuns nodded, and Christana, along with some of the nuns, armed them with swords and daggers for self-defence.

One of the ghouls noticed Eyva's attempts to open the cage. He approached her slowly, poised to strike. Just as he was about to grab her, Eyva sidestepped and delivered a forceful kick to his left knee, causing the ghoul to lose balance and lurch forward into the cage, striking his head. Seizing the opportunity, one of the trapped nuns plunged a blade into the ghoul's skull, ending him.

Eyva praised the nun, "Trifa, you're a brave girl."

Trifa nodded, and Eyva stealthily entered a large house. Inside, she found Christana conversing with an injured ghoul. Realizing they were safe, Eyva returned outside and called out, "Sisters, we're safe! Free yourselves!"

The nuns began to pry open their cage doors, while Eyva walked towards the forest to ensure no ghouls or potential survivors approached.

Meanwhile, inside the large house, the ghoul screamed in agony as Christana repeatedly stabbed his injured leg. She spoke calmly, "Where exactly? We know it's in the forest, but where? Speak, or I'll make you suffer even more."

The ghoul continued to scream in pain, uttering only unintelligible words in his own language.

In a fit of anger, Christana thrust her blade into the ghoul's stomach, causing him to groan. She threatened, "First your stomach, then I'll move to your chest, and finally your head will be in my hand."

Despite the pain, the ghoul could only manage to repeat incomprehensible phrases. Then, Eyva entered and explained, "Christana, he's mentioning that Daekrahm city is their enemy."

Christana turned her gaze to the ghoul and asked, "So, you're not willing to talk?"

The ghoul shed a tear and glared at Christana with resentment and hostility. Eyva interjected, "There must be a history between Daekrahm and the ghouls that makes him see us in this way."

Christana considered the ghoul for a moment, then lowered her sword and began to mend his stomach wound. The ghoul remained silent, and Eyva kept a vigilant watch, ready to act if he posed any threat to Christana.

Once the healing was complete, Christana spoke in a calm tone, "We've rescued some of our sisters. Those who can't fight should make their way to the city."

Eyva then inquired, "And what about this one?"

Christana instructed, "Don't mend his leg. There are chains, and there's a small basement beneath this house."

Eyva nodded firmly and took hold of the ghoul, urging him to move. Her voice was laced with anger as she threatened, "Move, or I'll stab your other leg."

A day later, Joe and Falkor observed a camp near the road, where numerous merchants and their families were held captive.

Falkor, gazing at the camp, muttered, "Damn ghouls. What are they up to?"

Joe surmised, "They're acting like bandits, but their capture of people suggests they might be seeking information about someone or something."

Falkor nodded, considering Joe's words. "You might be right, but our main goal is to free these people and drive the ghouls back to their territory."

The soldiers closed in around Joe and Falkor. Falkor directed, "Soldiers, you know what to do. Fast and deadly."

The soldiers acknowledged, and Joe added, "Remember, keep one of them alive to gather information about their movements."

Once positioned, Falkor and Joe simultaneously launched their attacks. Falkor swiftly dispatched a female ghoul with a lethal stab to the heart, while Joe incapacitated a ghoul with a well-aimed blow to the knee. Seizing the advantage, Joe then dealt five fatal blows to the ghoul's chest.

A fierce battle ensued, resulting in the loss of half the soldiers and the escape of some ghouls. Both Joe and Falkor emerged from the fight covered in blood and grime, bearing bruises across their bodies.

Surveying fallen comrades, Joe paid his respects, murmuring, "It was an honour to fight alongside brave men like you."

Falkor turned to Joe, expressing gratitude, "Thank you for your assistance. It's an honour to fight alongside a formidable warrior like you."

Joe nodded and asked, "Thanks, but did you find them?"

Falkor shook his head solemnly, replying, "No, I fear we may discover their bodies elsewhere. You saw what the ghouls did to those we couldn't save. I hold out hope for the best."

Joe then said: "But, they didn't kill any merchant or travellers, just nuns and knights and guards, why?

As the soldiers grappled with a resistant, injured female ghoul, she made her way toward Falkor in an attempt to attack. Swiftly, Joe intervened, striking her with the hilt of his sword, throwing her off balance, and following through with a forceful kick to her chest, sending her sprawling to the ground.

Falkor seized her by the neck, his grip tightening, his voice thundering, "WHERE ARE THE NUNS!? WHERE ARE MY DAUGHTERS!? WHERE IS ELORA!?"